Black Slime Mold - Suggestions?

[The Snark]

Specifically Stachybotrys chartarum. It is in most municipal water systems in Thailand, and many other countries. AKA sick water systems, AKA sick building syndrome. The most obvious growth is gypsum wall board turning black. Chlorinated water has no effect on the spores other than to retard their growth while chlorine is present in >20 ppm concentration.

 

Has anyone had any luck controlling this stuff? So far I've tried Chlorine, up to 20% concentration, 50% hydrogen peroxide, and a host of cleaning agents. It grows right back and becomes airborne in the shower.

The spores are 5 micron in size thus ceramic filters will block it and make drinking water safe but a <5 ua filter system for an entire house would be fantastically expensive.

Ideas? Suggestions?

[cooked]

I'm not sure if we have the same slime but we treat with a product from Makro or BigC called Vixol white, 15% Hydrochloric acid. Red top.

This stuff will remove grout and attack Gypsum (I imagine) so be very careful.

 

[Sheryl]

I think you need to address the indoor humidity via a/c or dehumidifier and also cleaning batbroom western rather thsn Thai style (i.e. mopping floor and wiping with sponge rather than spraying water all around and letting the room stay wet most of the time). If you can avoid excessive moisture, bleach should do the job.

 

If feasible attach a sediment filter to incoming water as well. Get the kind where you can reuse the filter after washing it out.

 

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[The Snark]

7 hours ago, cooked said:

I'm not sure if we have the same slime but we treat with a product from Makro or BigC called Vixol white, 15% Hydrochloric acid. Red top.

This stuff will remove grout and attack Gypsum (I imagine) so be very careful.

 

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

I think you need to address the indoor humidity via a/c or dehumidifier and also cleaning batbroom western rather thsn Thai style (i.e. mopping floor and wiping with sponge rather than spraying water all around and letting the room stay wet most of the time). If you can avoid excessive moisture, bleach should do the job.

First and foremost, thank you both for your insights.

I will check out Vixol White for the additives that are in it. I buy my chemicals from a chemical supply house. 15% hydrochloric is standard Muriatic. Around 350 baht for 50 kilo. Just plain capable of raising unholy heck with all sorts of household furnishings and of course your body. (The stuff they use for commercial soldering). I've got no qualms about using it though. One major concern would be the metals Thais use in faucets and fixtures. Fake brass, micron thick platings, phony chrome and so forth. Muriatic will do a serious job on them.

 

As for reducing the humidity, an excellent idea that would work under most circumstances. Also, having a clothes dryer would help which we can't afford. The mold spores die at 160F.

Our towels growing mold just from one drying off shows how sick our water supply is. I boil them once every couple of weeks to do a spore knock down. How to dehumidify our house... nearly impossible. We have a huge tree that shades most of our property and a river runs past our back door. Thus just leaving the windows open for ventilation takes the humidity into the mold growth zone.

 

But some things to think about and try.

 

BTW, if anyone wants to get the mold off the grout or wherever, chemical supply houses sell 50% hydrogen peroxide at around 400 baht for 5 kilo. Dip a toothbrush and apply. PLEASE! Gloves, old clothes, eye protection and face mask if you go this route. Bleach is peanuts to the number that stuff can do on your clothes. It's also deceptive and can take your fingerprints off faster than you can say ouch.

 

One trick I am presently using is acetic acid. AKA commercial grade vinegar. I spray the stuff on and leave the residue. Too acidic for mold to grow.

Another trick. Stubborn mold areas. Grab the carnauba car wax and go at it. Repeat as required. Mold can't grow on wax as wax doesn't hold water. I wax our sink and bathtub every month or so.

[Sheryl]

Again, I suggest a sediment filter. I have one right where the water comes into house, fairly small blue plastic thing with a filter inside that can be washed out and reused. My water is a lot better than yours but even mine, the filter traps lots of black slime. Costs about  4,000 baht at HomePro

https://www.homepro.co.th/product/62944

 

Lazada has same thing for a little less

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/mazuma-1-fh-5000-i100315678-s100367670.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.78.7b62f9f0VbGHiC&amp;search=1

 

Check and wash out the filter weekly. Doesn't take long.

 

If for some reason you can't attach the filter to the main supply there are smaller versions you can buy and attach at the taps but that's a hassle.

[The Snark]

17 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Again, I suggest a sediment filter.

Thanks Sheryl. I tried a sediment filter, actually about 5 different ones. Finally made my own, 6 feet tall out of 4" pipe. It plugs up in about a week. 2 weeks and it was so impacted it wouldn't back flush. I determined it wasn't trapping slime mold, it was retaining and growing it, contaminating all the water. When they were repairing the water system I was able to look inside one of their 4" pipes. A solid half inch of black slime coated the entire inside of the pipe.

Then in our water tank. I cleaned it out 4 months ago. About 6 inches of dirt in the bottom of the tank. We are the lowest point on the water system and at the end of the distribution line. I am reminded of when the California Department of Foresty brought in one of their quick attack engines to flush the water system at a city I lived in. They hooked up the hard suction line, opened the valve and cranked up the pump. It sucked pure mud and blew the pump up in less than a minute.

 

So I have a sediment trap that is marginally effective without plugging up constantly. My most recent idea is a solar water heating panel of pipes, overkill, that only lets the water tank fill for the three hours the panel gets full sunlight. A little tinkering and I think I can get the water over 160F for those three hours.

 

At present I am running 20 ppm chlorine in our water tank. Swimming pool or cattle watering trough in full sun concentration. Has absolutely no effect on mold growth. Spores are immune to chlorine.

[impulse]

19 hours ago, The Snark said:

Our towels growing mold just from one drying off shows how sick our water supply is. I boil them once every couple of weeks to do a spore knock down.

 

If I don't use laundry bleach when washing towels, I get one shower out of them before they go off on me.  If I use bleach, I can get 2-3 days use out of a towel before it starts to go stanky.  Even after they dry, there's a residual smell of the bleach in them.  That's with the water in the middle of BKK.

 

Edit:  Just to be clear, my point is that I'm not sure whether my problem originates in the water, or it's just a natural consequence of high humidity and the cleaning process isn't adequate to get rid of it without some help from the bleach.  I have the same problem with towel funk just about everywhere I've lived, and bleach has always been effective.

 

Edited September 5, 2018 by impulse

[transam]

6 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

If I don't use laundry bleach when washing towels, I get one shower out of them before they go off on me.  If I use bleach, I can get 2-3 days use out of a towel before it starts to go stanky.  Even after they dry, there's a residual smell of the bleach in them.  That's with the water in the middle of BKK.

 

Try a different soap....?

[impulse]

5 minutes ago, transam said:

Try a different soap....

 

I have.  Many different ones.  On me and on the laundry.   

 

Back home, I also use a hot water cycle and dry them on high temp, with very little difference.  I keep coming back to bleach.

 

Edited September 5, 2018 by impulse